80 FR 41472 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery and Golden Crab Fishery of the South Atlantic, and Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 135 (July 15, 2015)

Page Range		41472-41473
FR Document		2015-17334

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, Amendment 9 to the FMP for the Golden Crab Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, and Amendment 8 to the FMP for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic; collectively referred to as the Generic Accountability Measures (AMs) and Dolphin Allocation Amendment (Generic AM Amendment) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the Generic AM Amendment would revise the commercial and recreational AMs for numerous snapper-grouper species and golden crab. This amendment would also revise commercial and recreational sector allocations for dolphin in the Atlantic. The proposed actions are intended to make the AMs consistent for the snapper-grouper species addressed in this amendment and for golden crab, and revise the allocations between the commercial and recreational sectors for dolphin.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 135 (Wednesday, July 15, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 135 (Wednesday, July 15, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 41472-41473]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17334]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

RIN 0648-BE38


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Snapper-Grouper Fishery and Golden Crab Fishery of the South Atlantic, 
and Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) has 
submitted Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the 
Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, Amendment 9 to 
the FMP for the Golden Crab Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, and 
Amendment 8 to the FMP for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the 
Atlantic; collectively referred to as the Generic Accountability 
Measures (AMs) and Dolphin Allocation Amendment (Generic AM Amendment) 
for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. If approved by the 
Secretary of Commerce, the Generic AM Amendment would revise the 
commercial and recreational AMs for numerous snapper-grouper species 
and golden crab. This amendment would also revise commercial and 
recreational sector allocations for dolphin in the Atlantic. The 
proposed actions are intended to make the AMs consistent for the 
snapper-grouper species addressed in this amendment and for golden 
crab, and revise the allocations between the commercial and 
recreational sectors for dolphin.

DATES: Written comments on the Generic AM Amendment must be received on 
or before September 14, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the proposed amendment and 
environmental assessment identified by ``NOAA-NMFS-2013-0181'' by 
either of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic comments via 
the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2013-0181, click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, 
complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
     Mail: Submit all written comments to Mary Janine Vara, 
NMFS Southeast Regional Office (SERO), 263 13th Avenue South, St. 
Petersburg, FL 33701.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period 
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous 
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain 
anonymous).
    Electronic copies of the Generic AM Amendment may be obtained from 
www.regulations.gov or the Southeast Regional Office Web site at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov. The Generic AM Amendment includes an environmental 
assessment, initial regulatory flexibility analysis (IRFA), regulatory 
impact review, and fishery impact statement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Janine Vara, NMFS SERO, 
telephone: 727-824-5305, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires each regional 
fishery management council to submit any fishery management plan or 
amendment to NMFS for review and approval, partial approval, or 
disapproval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires that NMFS, upon 
receiving a plan or amendment, publish an announcement in the Federal 
Register notifying the public that the plan or amendment is available 
for review and comment.

Actions Contained in the Generic AM Amendment

Modifications to AMs for Snapper-Grouper Species and Golden Crab

    This amendment would revise the AMs for golden tilefish, snowy 
grouper, gag, red grouper, black grouper, scamp, the shallow-water 
grouper complex, greater amberjack, the other jacks complex, bar jack, 
yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, the other snappers complex, gray 
triggerfish, wreckfish (recreational sector), Atlantic spadefish, 
hogfish, red porgy, the other porgies complex, and golden crab 
(commercial sector).
    Currently, the snapper-grouper species and golden crab addressed in

[[Page 41473]]

this amendment have slightly different AMs in place compared to other 
snapper-grouper species. The Generic AM Amendment intends to modify the 
AMs for these species and species complexes to make them consistent 
with the majority of AMs already in place for other snapper-grouper 
species. Specifically, the recreational AMs would be updated to allow 
NMFS to close the recreational sectors in-season when the recreational 
ACLs are met or projected to be met. The proposed action would also 
modify the AMs to trigger post-season reductions in the following 
year's catch limit in the commercial and recreational sectors if the 
species, or one or more species in a species complex, is overfished and 
the total (commercial and recreational combined) ACL has been exceeded. 
Additionally, for the recreational sector, the fishing season may also 
be shortened to compensate for a total ACL overage in the previous year 
if the species or one or more species in a species complex is 
overfished. Modifying the AMs in this manner would create regulatory 
consistency among most federally managed species in the South Atlantic 
region.

Modifications to Commercial and Recreational Sector Allocations for 
Dolphin

    The Generic AM Amendment revises the sector allocations for 
dolphin. The current sector allocations for dolphin are 92.46 percent 
for the recreational sector and 7.54 percent for the commercial sector. 
The Council chose these allocations using a sector allocation formula 
where 50 percent of the sector allocations are based on landings from a 
longer time series (1999-2008) and 50 percent of the sector allocations 
are based on landings from a shorter time series (2006-2008). This 
results in the current annual catch limits (ACL) of 1,157,001 lb 
(524,807 kg), round weight, for the commercial sector and 14,187,845 lb 
(6,435,498 kg), round weight, for the recreational sector. The Generic 
AM Amendment would revise the sector allocation formula for dolphin to 
be based on the average of the percentages of the total catch for 2008-
2012. The recreational sector allocation for dolphin would be 90 
percent with an ACL of 13,810,361 lb (6,264,274 kg), round weight, and 
the commercial sector allocation would be 10 percent with an ACL of 
1,534,485 lb (696,031 kg), round weight.
    The Council has submitted the Generic AM Amendment for Secretarial 
review, approval, and implementation. The decision to approve, 
partially approve, or disapprove the Generic AM Amendment will be 
based, in part, on consideration of comments, recommendations, and 
information received during the comment period on this notice of 
availability.

Proposed Rule for the Generic AM Amendment

    A proposed rule that would implement the Generic AM Amendment has 
been drafted. In accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, NMFS is 
evaluating the proposed rule to determine whether it is consistent with 
the FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable laws. If that 
determination is affirmative, NMFS will publish the proposed rule in 
the Federal Register for public review and comment.

Consideration of Public Comments

    Comments received by September 14, 2015 will be considered by NMFS 
in the decision to approve, disapprove, or partially approve the 
amendment. Comments received after that date will not be considered by 
NMFS in this decision. All comments received by NMFS on the amendment 
or the proposed rule during their respective comment periods will be 
addressed in the final rule.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: July 10, 2015.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-17334 Filed 7-14-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P

$Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 135 / Wednesday, July 15, 2015 / Proposed Rules 41473 this amendment have slightly different current sector allocations for dolphin Proposed Rule for the Generic AM AMs in place compared to other are 92.46 percent for the recreational Amendment snapper-grouper species. The Generic sector and 7.54 percent for the AM Amendment intends to modify the commercial sector. The Council chose A proposed rule that would AMs for these species and species these allocations using a sector implement the Generic AM Amendment complexes to make them consistent allocation formula where 50 percent of has been drafted. In accordance with the with the majority of AMs already in the sector allocations are based on Magnuson-Stevens Act, NMFS is place for other snapper-grouper species. landings from a longer time series evaluating the proposed rule to Specifically, the recreational AMs (1999–2008) and 50 percent of the sector determine whether it is consistent with would be updated to allow NMFS to allocations are based on landings from the FMP, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, close the recreational sectors in-season a shorter time series (2006–2008). This and other applicable laws. If that when the recreational ACLs are met or results in the current annual catch determination is affirmative, NMFS will projected to be met. The proposed limits (ACL) of 1,157,001 lb (524,807 publish the proposed rule in the Federal action would also modify the AMs to kg), round weight, for the commercial Register for public review and trigger post-season reductions in the sector and 14,187,845 lb (6,435,498 kg), comment. following year’s catch limit in the round weight, for the recreational commercial and recreational sectors if sector. The Generic AM Amendment Consideration of Public Comments the species, or one or more species in would revise the sector allocation Comments received by September 14, a species complex, is overfished and the formula for dolphin to be based on the 2015 will be considered by NMFS in the total (commercial and recreational average of the percentages of the total decision to approve, disapprove, or combined) ACL has been exceeded. catch for 2008–2012. The recreational partially approve the amendment. Additionally, for the recreational sector, sector allocation for dolphin would be Comments received after that date will the fishing season may also be 90 percent with an ACL of 13,810,361 not be considered by NMFS in this shortened to compensate for a total ACL lb (6,264,274 kg), round weight, and the decision. All comments received by overage in the previous year if the commercial sector allocation would be 10 percent with an ACL of 1,534,485 lb NMFS on the amendment or the species or one or more species in a (696,031 kg), round weight. proposed rule during their respective species complex is overfished. The Council has submitted the comment periods will be addressed in Modifying the AMs in this manner Generic AM Amendment for Secretarial the final rule. would create regulatory consistency among most federally managed species review, approval, and implementation. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. in the South Atlantic region. The decision to approve, partially Dated: July 10, 2015. approve, or disapprove the Generic AM Modifications to Commercial and Amendment will be based, in part, on Emily H. Menashes, Recreational Sector Allocations for consideration of comments, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Dolphin recommendations, and information Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. The Generic AM Amendment revises received during the comment period on [FR Doc. 2015–17334 Filed 7–14–15; 8:45 am] the sector allocations for dolphin. The this notice of availability. BILLING CODE 3510–22–P srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:22 Jul 14, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 9990 E:\FR\FM\15JYP1.SGM 15JYP1$

Document Created: 2015-12-15 13:32:30
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 13:32:30

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Proposed Rules
Action		Notice of availability; request for comments.
Dates		Written comments on the Generic AM Amendment must be received on or before September 14, 2015.
Contact		Mary Janine Vara, NMFS SERO, telephone: 727-824-5305, or email: [email protected]
FR Citation		80 FR 41472
RIN Number		0648-BE38

80 FR 41472 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery and Golden Crab Fishery of the South Atlantic, and Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCENational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 135 (July 15, 2015)

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration